C♭7♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭7♯9 chord is a altered dominant seventh chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D. It's enharmonically the same chord as B7♯9.
Dominant seventh sharp nine chords sound gritty and bluesy at once, the clash of a major third against a sharp ninth that reads to the ear like a minor third. Funk, rock and soul horn sections lean hard on this one chord.
- Notes
- C♭ · E♭ · G♭ · B𝄫 · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 15
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Dominant 7♯9
- Symbol
- C♭7♯9
C♭7♯9 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♭7♯9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, index finger on D, middle finger on E♭, ring finger on G♭ and little finger on B𝄫. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard E♭ and G♭ are black keys and C♭, B𝄫 and D are white. C♭ and B𝄫 are the keys you'd normally call B and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- D♯9
- E♭3
- G♭5
- B𝄫♭7
C♭7♯9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭7♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
C♭ · E♭ · G♭ · B𝄫 · D
Play C♭7♯9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♭7♯9 chord notes
Also known as B7♯9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B𝄫(Bbb) | |
| ♯9 | Augmented ninth | 15 | D |
How to use the C♭7♯9 chord
The C♭7♯9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and an augmented ninth. Start at the root C♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh sharp nine chords drive funk, blues-rock and fusion as the tonic of a dominant-based vamp, not only as a V chord. Whole grooves in soul and rock guitar are built around this one chord.
How C♭7♯9 differs from similar chords
C♭7♯9 holds both a major third and a raised ninth that sounds like a minor third, so it is major and minor at once. That clash separates it from C♭7♭9, where the ninth is lowered, and from C♭9, where it is natural. Guitarists often call it the Hendrix chord.
Where C♭7♯9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key C♭7♯9 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♭7♯9 chord?
- The C♭7♯9 chord contains C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D (Cb, Eb, Gb, Bbb and D in plain text).
- Is the C♭7♯9 chord major or minor?
- C♭7♯9 is a altered dominant seventh chord. Dominant seventh sharp nine chords sound gritty and bluesy at once, the clash of a major third against a sharp ninth that reads to the ear like a minor third. Funk, rock and soul horn sections lean hard on this one chord.
- How do you play C♭7♯9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♭, E♭, G♭, B𝄫 and D and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard E♭ and G♭ are black keys and C♭, B𝄫 and D are white. C♭ and B𝄫 are the keys you'd normally call B and A.
- How do you play C♭7♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♭7♯9 chord?
- C♭7♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to B7♯9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.